political socialization and role of social media

By definition, democracy is a form of government ruled by the power of the vote. Citizens have the right to freely nominate members among themselves to form their own legislative structure, which is generally referred to as “government of the citizens, by the people” (Cook, 2017). Social networking is an online community that helps people to build and exchange information and expressions through networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Political socialization is the method of learning political culture and beliefs, usually by recruitment at a young age (Singh, 2004). Because of its capacity to impart social orientations, social media is an important agent of political socialization. This paper will seek to explain the impact that social media and political socialization has on advancing democracy in the United States and my associated role in ensuring effective democracy.

Social media

Since the discovery of the internet in the end of the twentieth century, Social media has been integrated in people’s lives .It has established new and innovative ways to communicate with people with limitless capabilities in creating history .Social media provides free access to online news meaning people get information on current affairs much easier (Baig, 2017). The digital age has the capacity to empower citizens’ through knowledge, enabling them to make more informed decisions. The government through social media increases transparency and accountability by allowing the online access of public data. Social platforms also foster confidence in a government system that allows people to embrace the internet as a form of communication.

According to Baig (2017), politicians and political parties use different forms of social media to run their campaigns and promote their agenda. Technically, about 60% adults in America alone use social media platforms. They share their general thoughts and more importantly what they think about politics hence promoting democracy. Barack Obama’s campaign involved a lot of social media activity, during his election for his second tenure; his photos set a record for most shares in the history of Facebook and Twitter. The potential of social media to facilitate participatory democracy requires a more cautious approach. First by acknowledging that social media is assertive in matters of activism and resistance (Gimpel, Lay, & Schuknecht, 2003). Following the establishment of traditional public opinion surveys, predicting the outcome of elections has become much easier on social media than the alternative telephone call or personal interviews. In addition, most government protests are captured are shared through social platforms providing a reliable form of journalism to deliver daily news and agenda. Social media has improved governance by providing easy publication through rapid spread of information. This creates transparency hence strengthening the goodwill of the citizens. For government, social media offers the ability to forecast broader societal trends (Dahlgren, 2009).

Social media improves the engagement of political campaigns and reinvigorates American democracy by use of constructive technology. It changes how information is delivered and the manner in which citizens process online content and the coverage of news. Democratic and republican candidates raise funds for their campaigns using social networks like Facebook and My space (Baig, 2017). These outreach tools also helps to identify supporters’ affiliated to a particular political party thus building stronger electoral coalitions and advancing the political process. Moreover, Social networks have a track record for promoting democratic engagements through sustaining political interest, campaigns for activists, and debates over political power. Electronic involvement has also affected civic broadcasting since commentators and activists can now engage their followers through live webcasting. In addition, it improves participation through voter empowerment while supporting the transformation of governance. In today’s world trust is measured through social filters and political effectiveness in the future will be measured within the same standards. Campaign organizations have lost control over political debate topics which revolve around social media platforms. Networks are now used to directly persuade and leverage civic education for political action while improving diversity in the dissemination of information (Dahlgren, 2009).

Political socialization

Political Socialization is a means of inducting citizens into the political culture of the nation. Developing political decisions begins from a young age and being a part of a community. It enables children to feel safe in acquiring the knowledge on politics and governance (Singh, 2004). Young people also take part in promoting politics and sometimes may influence the political behavior of the adults .Political culture cannot be inherited through the genes rather it encompasses both passive and active ways of developing individualism. In the United States political self begins with a sense of personal identification in a political environment. Being an American creates the sense of belonging to a particular nation that shares similar democratic beliefs. Political attitudes are often developed through the process of socialization. Citizens place their faith on the legitimacy and integrity of the system showing confidence in political institutions (Gimpel, Lay, & Schuknecht, 2003).

Throughout the years the American people have developed their political attitudes from the socialization process. This has fostered democracy by promoting political legitimacy by believing in the in the integrity of the government system in place and the election process (Gimpel, Lay, & Schuknecht, 2003). People have started believing in the legitimacy of the political institutions and the ability to deliver the needs of the people without abusing power. Through the socialization process the citizens believe that democracy is power and there are various mechanisms in place to hold political leaders accountable for engaging in questionable behaviour. The impeachment policy for presidential candidates and the hearing for congressional ethics are part of those mechanisms.

Political efficacy has also promoted democracy in the American government. Individuals’ perceptions have improved especially on their ability to influence the government policies and the political process. Consequently, citizens feel that they sufficient abilities and resources to actively participate in the political arena and demand response from the government. This has indeed increased the likelihood of people to be involved in public-policy issues. According to Singh (2004), most political socializations in the United States pass on democracy values to the next generation and the culture continues. Americans tend to be respectful of democratic and capitalist values since they are taught and imbedded in their life (Dahlgren, 2009). Young people are also taught to obey the rules and respect the people in authority like parents, teachers, police officers, and fire fighters. The deliberate purpose of political socialization is to allow democracy and political survival in times of economic crisis or war.

My role

Social media has greatly impacted the advancement and sustainability of democratic governance in America today. Consequently, my role will be to promote effective democracy through initiated the process of political change on social media platforms. Further, I will aim to stabilize the political reform process by engaging in online debate with my colleagues during government transition in times of elections. Even countries with established democracy like the United States need to allow for social media users to support campaigns through posting videos and sharing political information and materials. In doing this, I will attract a huge following of new democracy supporters sharing and posting updates on certain relevant topics. This will also create a connection with the people tracking various political agendas and keep me in touch with the political arena. Establishing different profiles and accounts in the online platforms will support the publication of data for transforming democracy with the use of digital technology.

Conclusion

Conclusively, social media participation and political socialization has aided the process of democracy and peace-making in the United States. Social media provides a transparent solution for airing people’s opinions without victimization. Participation in social media activities is considered as the first step towards democracy by proposing ones ideologies and having tolerance for others peoples values in social networks forums. Political socialization has also improved people’s perceptions and their ability to influence the democracy overtime.



















Works Cited

Baig, H. (2017). The Impact of Social Media on Democracy. Business 2 community. Retrieved 14 November 2017, from https://www.business2community.com/social-media/impact-social-media-democracy-0911687#WBWO8vSzR66MroBM.97

In Cook, B. L. (2017). Handbook of research on examining global peacemaking in the digital age.

Dahlgren, P. (2009). Media and political engagement. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gimpel, J. G., Lay, J. C., & Schuknecht, J. E. (2003). Cultivating democracy: Civic environments and political socialization in America. Brookings Institution Press.

Singh, R. (2004). American government and politics: A concise introduction. London [u.a: Sage Publs.